Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) about Escanaba’s Reconfiguration Project
General | Safety | Facilities | Transportation | Extra Curricular | Instruction | Logistics
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Superintendent
Lemire's Reconfiguration Update excerpt from the May, 2011 Esky Informer |
For the 2011-2012 school year, Webster, Soo Hill, and Lemmer Elementary Schools will remain as K-4 buildings and the Escanaba Middle School will continue to serve grades 5-7 due to the heavy construction at the high school. Our interest is to ensure the high school is appropriately set up for 7th grade to ensure they have a great experience. This means that we will use time during the next school year to thoughtfully prepare for the final transition in the reconfiguration process.
Though it seems like a long time away, the 2012-2013 school year will be a new beginning for our school district, and so we want to make sure we outline the steps to make it a great success. Parents, staff, and community members will be invited to help to plan an early childhood theme/environment for Lemmer, Soo Hill, and Webster as their focus will be grades K-3 starting in the 2012-2013 school year. The current Escanaba Middle School will host grades 4-6 and evolve into an “upper elementary.” Part of this planning will involve a discussion about how we should re-name it. This facility’s instructional design/concept, as well as its playground will better reflect the needs of upper elementary children. With grades 7 and 8 occupying a portion of the high school, we will have the opportunity to create a “school within a school.” Some of the groundwork has taken place, as many new activities for 8th grade have been implemented during this current school year, but we aren’t done yet! This new “school” will also be given a new name, and essentially its own identity.
Like young kids waiting for the next big birthday, we might find it is hard to wait! However it WILL be worth it. We will accomplish MORE, if we plan and implement the final phase of reconfiguring our schools by doing it “in step” with our students, community, and parents. We will do our due diligence to plan for 2012-2013, while we also put the final touches on the construction project. Updates throughout the year will be forthcoming!
General Questions
Why are we reconfiguring our schools?
Reconfiguring our schools will reduce our expenses and help address
current financial challenges brought on by the state’s funding cuts to
school districts. Reconfiguring will help us use our current facilities
well, to fill empty classrooms at the high school, and to remove pressure
at our elementary buildings. Finally it will give MORE opportunities for
students (classes, offerings) and allow for earlier access to rigorous
Michigan Merit Curriculum coursework.
What is the plan for the “reconfigured schools”
in Escanaba to “look like?”
2009-2010 |
2010-2011 |
2012-2013 |
| Lemmer (K-5) Soo Hill (K-5) Webster (K-5) Franklin (K-5) Middle School (6-8) High School (9-12) |
Lemmer (K-4) Soo Hill (K-4) Webster (K-4) Franklin-closed Middle School (5-7) High School (8-12) |
Lemmer (K-3) Soo Hill (K-3) Webster (K-3) Upper Elementary School (4-6) Junior High School (7-9) Senior High School (10-12) |
Will there be enough room for students at the
high school?
Yes, the high school was built with capacity for 1500 students,
and the current capacity is now approximately 888 students. Even with increased
enrollment, at a high of 200 students per 7th and 8th grade class (so for
an additional 400 students); there would still be plenty of room. We also
expect that with students having increased access to the Michigan Merit
Curriculum, and with increased opportunities to accelerate learning/coursework,
that we could see an increase of students taking college-level classes
early (dual enrollment), which takes pressure off the upper grade levels.
How is reconfiguring in the “best interest” of
our students?
Reconfiguring will allow for the district to provide to students
the most resources and opportunities that it can, given the state funding
issues that it faces. It will allow for students to be more successful
in attaining early high school credits, or regaining credit if they tend
to struggle. It will allow for a good grade span focus that attends not
only to student academic needs, but socio-emotional needs as well.
Developmental/Safety Questions
Are middle school students ready for the high
school environment?
The environment we will develop in each of our buildings will be customized
to meet the needs of the students that will be served. Expectations for
student behavior, academic work, extra-curricular activities will be set
and the school family will be accountable to making the environment be
a positive place to learn and play.
How will grades 7, 8, and 9
be physically separated from grades 10-12?
The students in the lower grades will have classes and lockers
in “A wing” primarily. For classes that mandate a special environment,
like physical education class and band, the schedule will be adjusted to
maintain segregation as much as possible. These students HAVE ridden the
bus together (7-12) during the past years, and so some contact will be
expected, however with supervision and an administrative presence, we believe
there will be minimal contact. It is also expected that each grade span
group will have separate activities from each other.
How will you protect the 7th and 8th grade students from
being bullied by the upper classmen?
Bullying is not EVER acceptable. Expectations of student behavior
will be published in school handbooks, and staff will follow through with
corrective measures if ANY student is bullied.
What extra safety measures will be in place for
the younger students at the high school campus?
Younger students will occupy primarily “A wing”, and their schedules
and traffic patterns will be set to keep them as segregated from the older
students as much as possible. A separate closed campus lunch will also
be in place. Students will be scheduled into advisory periods where they
will deepen relationships with their staff and classmates, and where they
will learn skills to help them as they move into the upper grades.
Will it be a closed campus at the high school
next year?
Right now, we are planning on a closed campus next year for the
students in 7th through 9th grade. Students in grades 10-12 would still have
open campus based on the current plan. A closed campus means the students need to bring
a cold lunch or purchase hot lunch.
Will fourth (4th) graders get recess?
Yes. At this time, we are planning on recess for the 4th and 5th grade.
Facilities Questions
What do kindergarten enrollment projections suggest
for the next five years? Will our elementary buildings have room?
Our projections for kindergarten are expected to level off (stay
about the same) for the next 5 years. We expect to have room for these
students, but also will have room for “all day every
day” kindergarten, which will require additional classroom space. Without 4th and 5th graders in the elementary buildings, Soo
Hill, Webster, and Lemmer will be able to house students in K-3 and promote
an “early childhood” concept.
How will the already remodeled middle school
facility (auditorium, industrial arts room) be used when younger students
occupy that building?
We expect the auditorium to be still utilized for groups that
need it. Music programs can be held there for our elementary students and
nicely accommodate parents and community members who love to watch students
perform. We are confident that our parent/employee
groups will help to ensure it continues to be used appropriately.
Transportation Questions
How will transportation be handled?
Will grades 4-6 ride the bus with 7-12? Currently, we have two
bus runs: a secondary run (for grades 6-12) and an elementary run (for
grades K-5). We will look to see how the students will be re-distributed
in the remaining schools, and develop a transportation plan. It would be
desirable alter the bus runs to have the elementary students ride separately
from the secondary students, but the transportation plan is not in place
yet. When it is complete, we will make sure to communicate the ideas to
our parents and community.
What will the start times be for 2012-2013?
We have not set the time for school yet. We will post this information
when it becomes available.
How will bus schedules and routes be affected
since I would have three children in all different buildings?
We have not set schedules or routes yet, but that work will be
done well before the start of school next year in order to help parents
plan for the departure and arrival of their children each day.
Extra Curricular/Athletics Questions
Will the 7th and 8th graders be bussed to the middle
school for practice?
If students have a practice scheduled right after school at the
current middle school facility, it is probable that bussing will be provided—but
if a practice has been scheduled for later in the evening, the student
would go home as usual, and would find their way to the school where practice
is being held—just as they would have done this school year.
How will clubs and fund-raising efforts be handled
for the different age groups?
As in past years, our school leaders and committees will review
what clubs are available or students, as well as review the amount and
kinds of fund-raisers they are considering. This review is important to
make sure that the activities are appropriate and beneficial for the age
levels.
Curriculum & Instruction Questions
How will reconfiguring the grade levels change
what students are able to take for classes?
Students in 7th and 8th grade will be grouped
with 9th grade students in a “school within a school” that will have embedded
into it—an advisory period where students will learn skills to help them
be successful in the latter years of high school. Students will be physically
closer to upper-level classes, and so by utilizing the expertise of the
core curriculum departments, students will have early exposure to Michigan
Merit Curriculum courses when they are “ready”. Vocal music, in addition
to instrumental music will be offered for “school within a school” students.
It is a goal to not only offer foreign language instruction earlier to
students in 7th and 8th grade, but we are also exploring offering this
instruction at the elementary level—when students tend to naturally latch
on to new languages. Students in grades 4-6 will be housed together, and their teachers will be able
to collaborate more because they will not be in separate buildings. It
is possible then, for teachers to specialize in a few subjects and use
“teaming” with another teacher so as to minimize “the master of everything
factor”. At the K-3 level, resources, assemblies, and activities can be
especially tailored for this age level. At this stage, we are still in
the development phase. We have an extremely talented staff and we would
like to utilize their talents, along with the ideas and suggestions of
parents to ensure that what and how students learn within these grade configurations
is designed for the maximum positive impact.
How will extra support through special education
and Title I change?
During the school year, our buildings are refining their school
improvement plans which explain how they plan to deliver services. Each
building-to-be will look at what their data suggests and devise a plan
to address the needs of the students who will be attending that building.
It is also expected that by combining all grade levels in one building
(4-6), more students will have access to federal funds
for Title I. Depending on how the eligibility criteria works out, that
the school within a school may qualify for some of these funds. In any
event, the schedule and system of support in EACH school is built from
the school improvement plan—something that is developed by school/parent
teams.
What is the state’s position on all day every
day kindergarten?
We have not received any new updates from the State since they
put a two-year “hold” on all day every day kindergarten last year. We have
no indication that the State intends to back off on this requirement, and
so we need to prepare as if it is going to happen.
Logistics Questions
Will the 4th and 5th grade be a self-contained classroom
next year at the middle school or will kids be switching classes like
the middle school currently does?
Students will spend at least more than 1/2 of the day in
a self-contained classroom, but may see another teacher in that teacher’s
area of specialty, along with encore curriculum teachers (music, physical
education, technology, and art).
How will the current middle school get a playground
for younger students?
We are exploring how to make that happen. We are working on this, and also
seeking other community partners to assist in this effort.
Will the elementary buildings be K-3, or is their
still talk of a kindergarten center?
The elementary buildings will be K-3.
